Batteries produce electricity by means of chemical reactions. A first chemical reaction occurring at a negative terminal releases electrons and a second chemical reaction occurring at a positive terminal consumes electrons. An electrical current is produced by connecting the terminals. Batteries and their terminals are made in many different physical forms.
Batteries of the lead-acid storage type are commonly used in motor vehicles to provide the power to operate the starter of the engine and to run auxiliary devices when the engine is not running. When the engine is running, an alternator provides the electricity to run the auxiliary devices and simultaneously recharges the battery. Lead-acid storage batteries contain two terminals mounted on the top or side of the battery. Cables are attached to the terminals with removable connectors. The terminals of lead-acid storage batteries are commonly posts or threaded receptacles.
The battery terminal-cable connectors of motor vehicle batteries are removed from the terminals when the battery is replaced or serviced, and when other electrical components are serviced. A conventional connector for a battery having post terminals consists of a cylindrical sleeve having two flanges. A threaded bolt passes through holes in the flanges and is secured with a nut. The connector is attached by slipping the sleeve over the post and tightening the nut. The connector is removed by loosening the nut and pulling the connector off the post. The attachment/removal process is slow and requires the use of a wrench or other tool. If the nut is loosened too much, it can separate from the bolt and is easily lost.
A variety of battery post-cable connectors that do not require the use of tools have been disclosed. For example, Chartrain et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,159, Nov. 26, 1985, disclose a battery post-cable connector comprising a U-shaped clamp, a pivoting member, and a lever. Movement of the lever causes the space between the legs of the U-shaped clamp to decrease. The clamp, pivoting member, and lever are relatively large and intricate parts that are expensive to manufacture and are prone to breakage and malfunction.
Other clamping battery post-cable connectors that do not require tools are disclosed in Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,854, Dec. 22, 1953; Magdesyan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,118, Sep. 22, 1987; Inoue et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,466, Feb. 14, 1995; Sharpe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,309, Sep. 17, 1996; Iby et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,383, Mar. 20, 2001; Murakami et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,124, Jul. 2, 2002; Orange, U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,925, Dec. 6, 2005; Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,711, Jul. 18, 2006; and Sproesser, U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,448, Dec. 4, 2007. All these connectors either contain intricate parts or are bulky or are expensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, a demand exists for an improved battery terminal-cable connector that can be easily and quickly attached and removed without the use of tools and that is durable, compact in size, inexpensive, composed of few parts, and not prone to the loss of parts.